I once won a goldfish at the fair that only lasted a couple of weeks before it died, so my parents and I flushed it down the toilet. After that I thought that you could flush away any pets that you didn"t want anymore. My gran used to have a little black poodle that I hated so when I was round at her house once I tried to flush it down the toilet.

Debs

During our long journeys in the car to the annual family holiday in Wales, my brother and I would argue the whole way, (as all siblings do). To keep us quiet my Dad told us to play "spot the dead donkey"; thus the journey was spent looking out of the window for a donkey on its back with all legs in the air!

Gullible in "East Anglia"

Once time my cat caught a baby rabbit, and I managed to get the rabbit off of the cat before it died. I kept it in a cardboard box and tried to nurse it back to health, but it died within a day. I had just watched the movie Return to Oz where Dorothy cried over the dead Pumpkin Head, and when her tears fell on him he came back to life. So I made a bed for the dead rabbit in the bottom drawer of my dresser and I took it out regularly to hold and cry over in the hopes that it would come back to life. I remember after it died it got stiff and then the next day, after I had cried over him, his joints had loosened up, so I thought that the tears-thing was working! I didn't know then that rigor mortis is only temporary.

I didn't remember this but my mother told me that the rabbit actually started to smell and that is how she discovered that I was keeping it in my bottom drawer! Yick!

Alison

When I was little, I had a fish named Jerôme and when it died, my father put it in the toilet to flush it down. Somehow, he forgot to flush and my mom ended up peeing on it. O_o I thought for a long time that she did that to punish the fish for dying...

Arisu

My co-worker's daughter had this belief.
Once, when 'Brenda' went on a trip with her dad, she informed her mother that the kitty was to remain indoors, or else, without Brenda to watch it, Kitty would get run over. Of course, while Brenda was away, the cat got out and was killed by a car. Brenda's mom told her that the kitty had seen the neighbor's dog playing in the road, and, before anyone could stop her, Kitty rushed outdoors to push the dog out of harm's way, thus dying a hero's death. Brenda was so awed she was speechless, and believed the story for years.

Elissa

When I was little I asked my mom why there were so many dead animals by the side of the road. She responded that they had been waiting to cross and had become mesmerized by all the passing traffic, and had simply died of dizziness and confusion. Not only did I believe this, I was convinced that I might die while crossing the street if I looked too long at the cars. When I found out that they had actually been run-over I was devistated.

Sal

my family's cat, tyronne, died when my sister was 5. my parents burried him under the big evergreen in our backyard. for years my sister thought that tyronne was just walking around under the ground in the backyard--that being dead meant that you lived underground. when we had moles that pushed up the yard, she thought that was evidence that tyronne was playing and jumping up!

christine

At a dinner party we were talking about childhood pets, when my mother told about how her cat had become to old to live at home anymore and had gone to live in a home for retired cats, this had happened when she was quite young (about 10).

As the story was told she suddenly realised that the cat had, in reality been taken to the vet and put down.

The sudden realisation that she had never mourned her precious childhood pet dawned on her and she collapsed in tears, as the 30 years of mistake became clear!

aethel

When I was about 9 or 10 I had a goldfish that I won at the school carnival. One morning I woke up and found that the fish had jumped out of it's bowl onto the floor and died. I ran into the other room where my brother (younger) and father were seated watching cartoons and asked what happened. Upon examination my father convinced both my brother and I that the fish commited suicide after seeing my brother's face earlier that morning. We still laugh about it even today.

gullible in MN

I used to believe that semi trucks pulling pigs for slaughter were just the farmer taking the pigs for a ride on the expressway.

Alexandra

When my cat, Shadow, died of a tail infection when I was four, I was so sad that I drew thirteen pictures just for him and told my dad to mail the pictures to Heaven so that Shadow could see them. This was a yearlong hobby, until I found out that Heaven doesn't have a mailbox.

Marshmello Da Strawberry Cow

When I was younger, I noticed how the dead animals on the highways were always at the SIDES rather thatn in the middle so I asked my mom, "How come people swerve to the side of the roads just to kill the animals???!!!"

Elizabeth

I used to REALLY believe that all dogs went to heaven. So, in that case, it meant all cats went to hell. I always cried for my aunts cats at night for their soon to come eternal damnation... I was an odd child...

Robyn

When I was a toddler, my mother had a pet goldfish named "Ronnie." The poor fish met its demise when I poured dishsoap in its bowl, "trying to help Ronnie blow bubbles."

Maeghan Jade

When I was about three-years-old, my parents had a friend named Kevin. My dad also had two pet hermit crabs. One day, I looked into the tank and they were gone, so I asked my mom what happened to them; she told me they had gone to heaven, but I misunderstood what she had said, and began telling everyone that my dad's hermit crabs went to Kevin's.

Megan

When I was little, we had a dog who was born one day before I was. When I was nine, he died, and I thought I'd be next.

CappysSister

I used to believe that the way you knew when people were dead was when their toungue was sticking out.

Geneva

when my brother and I where kids, we used to have a dog called Jewls. She had been in the family for 16 years. When she died I was 8 and my brother 5. My father explained to us how Jewls had gone to heaven. The next day my mother was surprised to see my brother throwing sticks high up in the air, so she asked him what he was doing and he answered: I am playing with Jewls

Marissa

When I was about 8 my dog got hit by a car and had to be put to sleep. My parents explained the vet would give her a needle and she would just go to sleep forever. I was so upset about this that I would cry for hours at night. My parents thought I was just upset that the dog was dead but really it was because I thought if she slept forever instead of dying that she'd never go to heaven. I didn't know why they wouldn't just let her die.

I still miss Maggie

I used to believe that dogs and cats would be able to speak to us when we all died and went to heaven. This is why sometimes dogs would stare at you - they were paying close attention to what you were doing so they could remember for the afterlife. I was particularly embarrassed about what my childhood dog might reveal about me, so I would tell her lots of stories to try and confuse her about what was made up and what actually happened.

Nugs